


My Favorite Things (Batman x Male Reader)

by DreamDepot



Series: Dream Seeds (One-Shots) [6]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Gay, Holidays, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-24 04:49:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17094221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamDepot/pseuds/DreamDepot
Summary: All you want is a nice Christmas with the entire Bat family. That's not too much to ask, right?





	My Favorite Things (Batman x Male Reader)

My Favorite Things

Or

What Happens When Dream Watches Too Many Hallmark Movies

* * *

  ** _Batman_** _and the associated trademarks are owned by DC Comics, please support the official release.  
_

* * *

 

_Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens_

_Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens…_

You sang aloud as you wandered through Wayne Manor, finding your way to the kitchen. The kitchen was filled with the most delectable aromas of sizzling broths and spices. Fresh buns from the oven sat on cooling trays next to fresh gingerbread. Your mouth watered.

“Enjoying ourselves Mr. [L/n]?” Alfred Pennyworth asked, with a hint of a grin. At the moment, he was icing the details onto a gingerbread mansion.

“Alfred, you know you can just call me [Y/n].”

“Old habits die hard I’m afraid,” he replied. “Surely, you aren’t planning on sneaking any food and ruining your appetite, are you? I prepared your favorites.”

“First of all,” you said, hiding a cookie behind your back, “don’t call me Shirley.”

The butler pursed his lips. “I suppose I asked for that.”

“Second, I saw, and I appreciate it.” The platter of your favorite entrée sat on the kitchen island, along with several other delicacies more suited to your boyfriend’s tastes. “Actually, I came to help.”

“As one of the family, I can’t-”

“Alfred,” you insisted, “that’s exactly why I’m here. You’re part of the family too, and I’d really like to spend time with you.” A brief look of surprise flickered across Alfred’s eyes but soon disappeared. That was the fortitude of a butler, you supposed.

“That’s very kind of you. In that case, why don’t we prepare some chicken marsala? I fear that Master Dick isn’t getting proper nutrition.”

“I’m pretty sure he’d be happy even if we gave him cereal,” you joked as you washed up. “Any idea when they’ll be back?”

“Oh, you know Master Bruce, I’m sure it could be as soon as five minutes or a few hours. It all depends how _busy_ it is.”

You nodded. Bruce was devoted to everything he did, whether that was with Wayne Industries, his many charity functions, or – most of all – protecting Gotham City. You had found out quite on accident.

It was late one night. Bruce was late to your date, again. You decided to wait in the library, hoping to curl up with a good book, as who knows how long he’d be this time. You then noticed that all of the clocks in the room were on the correct time, save the old grandfather clock. At first, you didn’t want to let it bother you, but the more you looked at it, the worse it got. Finally, you stood up and changed the time. Of all the things you thought that could have happened, a secret passageway was not one of them. And thus, by sheer dumb luck, you happened across the Batcave. It wasn’t long before Bruce explained everything to you.

That was three years ago. Today, you stood by his side and helped him to keep his multiple secrets safe. The obvious his being Batman; the less obvious, your being his live-in boyfriend. It wasn’t necessarily because Bruce was afraid to come out but keeping up the charade had its advantages. Plus, you didn’t have to deal with the media presence. After all, Bruce dating one of his employees? The media would have a field day; they would treat it as the biggest scandal since Vicky Vale’s exposé on Basil Karlo. You’d much rather enjoy the quiet of the mansion where you could work on new gizmos and gadgets for the Bat Family than deal with the press. The people important to you knew. However, there was that nagging feeling of not being good enough, no matter what Bruce said. Not being good enough to be public and having to always come up with new excuses.

You carefully sliced the mushrooms for the marsala. “Is everyone going to be here?”

“Almost,” Alfred replied. “I believe Master Jason is… well, being Master Jason.” You nodded, expecting as much. “But in case he does choose to visit, I’ve prepared a pot of chili.”

“Huh, figured that was for if Ollie dropped by.”

“The Justice League was invited to come by tomorrow. Mr. Kent and Ms. Prince may visit, no word from Mr. Queen. Hot dogs are in the refrigerator still.”

“I’ll get those boiled, a little cold to be grilling,” you smiled. You wanted to make a quip about letting Jason eat junk food instead of _proper nutrition_ as Alfred had put it, but if Jason did come, perhaps his favorite food would put him at ease enough to visit again. “Doughnuts for Tim?”

“Beignets, not doughnuts. Already made, just waiting to be fried. I think we’ll wait until they return for that.”

The mushroom sauce for the marsala was now sizzling. Just as you took it off the heat, a small sensor beeped in the kitchen. “Ah, right on time,” Alfred said as he finished the final swipe of frosting on the gingerbread mansion. You finished preparing the marsala and pulled the hot dogs out when you recognized the voices. You poked your head out of the kitchen to see Dick chatting away with Barbara. Even Jason managed to show up, though he hung back.

Barbara was the first to notice you. “[Y/n]! Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas Barb, Dick, Jason,” you called back.

“Go ahead,” Alfred said. “I’ll finish up here.”

“Hold on a second.” You tossed the hot dogs into the boiling water and washed your hands before joining them. “How are all of you?”

“Never better!” Dick smiled, brightening the room. Barbara nodded, unstoppable as ever, even after being shot by the Joker. Jason remained quiet.

“I’m glad you’re all here. Alfred’s been cooking everyone’s favorites, even chili dogs.” You caught the slight glimmer of a smile from Jason. “Tim and Bruce are still out, as usual.”

“Awesome!” Dick made a beeline for the kitchen. He barely made it in before you could hear a quiet “Ow.”

“I guess I should have told him Alfred is still on guard duty?”

Barbara laughed. “He should know better by now. How have you been?”

“Oh, the usual.” You took a seat next to her. “Working on a better autonomous system for the Batmobile, and a few new types of anti-Joker gas spray.”

“What? No shark repellant?”

“That’s next week,” you snickered. You noticed Jason had disappeared around the corner. “Well, he stayed longer than I thought he would. I’m glad he came, means my Christmas wish came true.”

“So, what was your wish?”

“Simple,” you said. “I didn’t really want any presents this year, just to be surrounded by family and my favorite things.”

“So, we’re having crisp apple strudel and schnitzel with noodles for dinner?” Dick cut in. “You don’t look like Julie Andrews.”

You rolled your eyes. “Very funny. No, I just wanted to see everyone together, like a family.”

“I think that’s sweet,” Barbara said. “We don’t see each other and get to relax like we used to.”

“Hard to believe it’s already been three years. You’re like a second Bat-dad,” Dick added, taking a bite of a gingerbread cookie he snuck past Alfred’s watchful eye. “Though, you’re the nicer one.”

“Yeah.” The three of you jumped. Jason stood behind you with a glass of cider. “Nice to have someone who patches me up without giving me a lecture.”

“I’d still like it if you were a little more careful Jason,” you said softly.

“He has a point though,” Barbara added. “You’ve always been there for us. Question is… when is Bat-dad number one going to make it official.”

“I…” You knew the reason, it just seemed rude to say. Thankfully the door flew open and Tim burst in – still in uniform – and hugged you.

“Hey [Y/n], can Conner come over? Please?” He said, speaking a mile a minute.

You fought back a smirk, knowing exactly what was going on, even if Tim thought he was being sneaky. “As long as Bruce doesn’t have any problems, I don’t see why not. He’s always welcome in my book.”

“Thanks!” The Red Robin chirped and disappeared down a hall.

“Well, hi to you too Tim,” Dick pouted.

“He’ll calm down in a bit,” you said. “I’m sure you guys are hungry. I’ll go set the table with Alfred.” You stood to head for the formal dining room, but the doorbell caught your attention. You got to the door before Alfred and fought not to laugh. “You certainly waste no time Conner, Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas Mr. [L/n].” Krypto the Superdog barked in greeting as well. You let the two in, and they both bolted to Tim’s room.

You shook your head. “Those two…”

* * *

The party was winding down. Jason quietly left after exchanging a few words of thanks with you and Alfred. Barbara left shortly thereafter, returning to spend the night with her father. Dick was spending the night and had already retired to his room. After working all night to pretend not to be into each other, Tim and Conner were in each other’s arms asleep on the couch. Krypto was curled before the fireplace.

Your emotions were a swirl. On one hand, seeing everyone happy together was all you could ask for. On the other… Bruce never came up for dinner.

You went to the Batcave, at first worried that he had to leave again or perhaps he was captured somewhere and no one noticed. You spun the hands of the grandfather clock to 10:47 and stepped into the secret elevator. You burst into the Batcave and found him sitting at the computer.

“Bruce? What’s going on? You’ve been down here all night.”

He looked up for a moment. “Hm, guess I lost track of time.”

“Lost track of…” All of the worries were now replaced by anger. “Fine then.”

“Hey, can you have Alfred send some leftovers down?”

“Call him yourself!” You shouted back through the closing elevator doors.

* * *

The sounds of rapid-fire knocking on the door woke you. You had chosen to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms that night. A crack of light pierced the dark veil, and you saw Tim poke his head in. “What’s wrong?” you grumbled sleepily.

“You were still asleep. It’s Christmas morning. You’re coming, aren’t you?”

You caught the digital display of the alarm clock through a bloodshot eye. “Tim. It’s five-thirty in the goddamn morning.”

“So?”

You couldn’t stay mad. “Fine, fine. I’m up. Get your brother up.”

The door swung open farther, revealing Dick in matching pajamas. “Way ahead of you.”

“Alright, I’ll be down in a moment.” You stretched and yawned. A quick look around the room showed no evidence your boyfriend had been by. You groaned. “One day… one day is all I ask for.” You dressed in nice but casual clothes and made your way out.

Downstairs, Tim and Connor sat on a loveseat, and Dick cracked jokes as he divided up the presents. Even Alfred sat in an easy chair, somehow completely unfazed by the early hour. Krypto had taken up residence at Alfred’s feet.

You slumped into a chair next to the butler, putting on a smile. “Master Bruce was the same way when he was young,” Alfred whispered leaning over to you. “After so many years, one gets used to it.”

“Speaking of…?” You began, but let your voice trail off.

“I’m afraid I haven’t seen him.”

“I thought so,” you mused. As the presents were torn open and shouts of glee filled the room, your disappointment began to fade. _I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don’t feel so bad…_ You sang in your head. A package landed in your lap, shaking you from your reverie. Your head snapped up to see Dick with a big smile.

“Brown paper packages, tied up with string,” he sang, slightly off-key.

You playfully shoved him and tore off the wrapping. Inside, the box was empty but for a little card. It was written in code – a simple Caesar’s cipher to be precise. It took only moments for you to decipher it to read: “Come downstairs.” You frowned, a bit confused.

“Alright, go!” Tim said, pulling you to your feet.

“Are you guys in on this?”

“Just do what the card says!”

Considering you were on the ground floor of Wayne Manor, downstairs could only be one place. Since the boys and Alfred were in on whatever **_it_** was, you knew the Riddler had nothing to do with it, so there was some comfort. You rushed back downstairs, expecting to see Bruce, but instead, there was another present: an envelope with a bow on it. This time it was sitting on one of the old Batmobile models. This one was based on an old concept car from the 1950s to showcase the future of the automobile. One look told you Alfred had cleaned it up, as it shone like new.

You tore open this envelope to find a stiff piece of cardstock with little notches and holes. “A voting ballot?” you wondered, but then it hit you. “A computer punch card!” you laughed. You climbed into the old car and slid the card into the slot on the built-in system. “Let’s see… atomic batteries to power… thrusters to speed…” You were slammed back into your seat as the car rocketed out of the Batcave. The seatbelt automatically snapped around you, and the seat heated up to keep the cold off.

In what seemed like mere moments, the car screeched to a halt before a gigantic greenhouse: the Gotham Botanical Gardens. It was a location you were well acquainted with.

The Wayne Industries Vision for Tomorrow event seemed like only yesterday… It was at the event, here at the Gardens, you met your employer face to face for the first time. The night had been a success – well, up to the point that Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn decided to attack – but you also met Bruce as Batman that night. Less than a week later, you began to see each other.

The doors to the Gardens were open. You strode in, more than a little confused. The most beautiful flowers were in full bloom despite the chilling Gotham winter beyond the glass. Shortly after entering, you came to a pagoda beside one of the flowerbeds where none other than Bruce was waiting.

“Where have you been?”

“I’m sorry [Y/n], but some last-minute problems came up,” He kissed you quickly and sat you down in a chair. A waiter presented you with a platter of your favorite breakfast foods and pastries.

“What is this?” you asked. “We should be home with the others.”

“We’ll head back in a moment,” Bruce said, confident as usual but obviously hiding something. He sat across from you. “I wanted to make up for last night; I know how much you were looking forward to it.”

You elected to remain silent, taking a bite of one of the pastries.

“Like I said, last-minute problems.”

“The Joker? Mr. Freeze? Bane?” You offered. “Black Mask? I’m sure that Gordon’s team could have taken care of it.” Gotham Police couldn’t, but you wanted answers.

“No, none of them. Delayed shipments and timing. Actually, your present… well, I guess it’s my present too in a way, almost didn’t make it.”

“Bruce, you’re not making sen-” You had lifted a glass of water to your mouth, but stopped, hearing a clinking sound. Around the stem of the glass was a ring of tungsten and silver. Setting the glass down, your hand trembled. “Bruce?”

You turned back to find Bruce kneeling before you, your hand in his. His face was deadly serious as if he was wearing the cowl. “I love you with all of my heart. There’s no one I would trust more to stay with me and keep my secrets. But, it isn’t fair to you. I want you to be happy and not have to hide. [Y/n] [L/n], would you marry me?”

“Yes,” your voice cracked. “Yes, Bruce, I would!”

In a flash, you were up in his arms. You kissed deeply, feeling every ounce of his love and sincerity, every bit of anxiety and fear wash away. “Wait, what about work?”

“Easy, you’re fired. Then, you’re hired as a private contractor for the Wayne Estate.”

“Hmm, does it come with benefits?”

“All the benefits.”

“Smile!” A voice called. A camera flash lit the room.

You smiled through the kiss and broke it off. “Merry Christmas Clark. I hope you aren’t planning on putting this in the evening edition.”

You could hear the Man of Steel chuckle. “No, I’m off the clock. No promises on Lois though.” There was a healthy smack of a playful slap behind you. No force on this planet or Krypton could keep Lois from a good story.

Bruce set you back down. “I think we should head back,” you said. “The boys are probably waiting for us. Plus, since Clark and Lois are here, Diana is probably coming by soon too.”

Bruce smiled, squeezing your hand. “Let’s go home, Mr. Wayne.”


End file.
